Ukraine's gains at risk without more US aid as consequences already seen on battlefield – Blinken
Without American aid, everything Ukraine has achieved, including with the help of its allies, will be at risk, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington on Jan. 29.
The approval of the aid by Congress is "vital" for Western partners to step up and do what is necessary to ensure Ukraine's success and Russia's strategic defeat.
"Absent that supplemental, we’re going to be sending a strong and wrong message to all of our adversaries that we are not serious about the defense of freedom, the defense of democracy," Blinken said.
“And it will simply reinforce for Vladimir Putin that he can somehow outlast Ukraine and outlast us. Well, that’s not going to be the case. We have to make sure that it’s not the case.”
The U.S. official stressed that there continues to be "strong" bipartisan support in Congress, but that there is "no other magic pot" for allocating funds to Ukraine.
"We are now currently out of the military assistance that we’ve been providing to Ukraine, and we’re even seeing some evidence of what that means on the battlefield," Blinken said.
A bill to fund approximately $106 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan failed to pass a procedural vote in the U.S. Senate on Dec. 6, 2023, due to Republican demands for a tougher migration policy. They sought to strengthen border security with Mexico and consider this issue only in conjunction with aid to Ukraine and Israel.
The aid package for Kyiv includes $61 billion. U.S. President Joe Biden met with congressional leaders at the White House on Jan. 17 to discuss a national security spending bill that includes money for Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the American leader agreed to tighten immigration policy to avoid criticism and secure aid for Kyiv.
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